Checkpoint cops point guns at motorists

Nightcrawler · Nov 2, 2013

My response, especially the point about prejudices, was not specifically at you. Thanks for your well written response, it is clear that you & I both despise, and actually agree on, a lot of the same things. "No-knock" warrants should be reserved for specific types of incidents, in my opinion, yes, involving a violent subject. Those warrant 'mistakes' are nothing more than a fine eample of piss poor preparation and laziness, and are inexcusable. It would seem that verifying the address of the subject you're looking for would be common sense.

21 years of civilian LE and 25 total miitary time (10 active, 15 reserves), I am very proud of the fact I have not become jaded against the public, and the last thing people who don't know me think I do is actually what I do. Every one of those jackasses who ends up on the news makes it that much harder for the rest of us.

Riot said:
Nope...if anything the language I would be looking for is "never point your firearms at anything you're not willing to destroy" or in other words, don't just dump your mag in an urban setting like you're in the middle of Iraq trying to suppress a terrorist insurgent. I wouldn't be too worried about going through a person with a pistol as much as I would be about missing and hitting someone else. Police don't have the luxury to chock things off as collateral damage, you should know this...ever heard of the Priority of Life? If taking the shot means endangering an innocent civilian, you don't take the shot- you wait, assess, reevaluate and wait for an opening. Even if the threat is imminent, endangering by-standards, hostages or even other officers is never an option when neutralizing a threat.

Hold up- you came here defending the officer's actions, nobody called you out...you did that to yourself. A firearm is used for a deadly threat or possible deadly threat...you can't point a firearm at random people without an imminent threat. This isn't Russia/China/Korea/Afghanistan/Iraq...we are citizens and we have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of not having a gun pointed in our face every time a police officers feels like it.

Ask anyone here, I will be the first to jump in an LEO's corner and defend their actions AS LONG AS IT IS JUSTIFIED.

Want to play the "what if..." game? What if there was a child in the back seat?

What I seem to find rehensible is that police forget that they serve the public, not their superiors. Police are there to ensure that everyone is safer, not ensuring it's safer for them by endangering the public.

For example...what is your opinion on "no knock warrants" for non-violent offenses?

[video=youtube_share;W-wv7rcbDLE]http://youtu.be/W-wv7rcbDLE[/video]

How about flashbanging a room without ensuring a clear area?
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/12/rickia_russell_police_brutality_flashbang_grenade. php

Common sense...that's all we ask. Searching the car? Wouldn't have had a problem...even having the guy get out and sit off to the side- you're looking for a violent criminal, I get it. Then come up to the car with gun at contact ready. Heck, even popping the trunk I could see the gun up...but not for every driver dude... seriously.

Pointing the gun at everyone passing through a checkpoint when there isn't an imminent threat?

Yeah, I'll never sign off for that.

*edit*

However, I will add that the blind "yeah cops suck" posts do get a little old. Its prejudice and there are many people already on my ignore list from it.